California: In this May 2, 2014 photo, dust rises around a walnut tree as a worker mows weeds in Gridley, Calif.

Photo: Jae C. Hong, Associated Press

California: In this May 2, 2014 photo, dust rises around a walnut...

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In this May 1, 2014 photo, irrigation water runs along the dried-up ditch between the rice farms to provide water for the rice fields in Richvale, Calif. California's drought-ravaged reservoirs are running so low that state water deliveries to some metropolitan areas have all but stopped, and cutbacks are forcing growers to fallow fields. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Photo: Jae C. Hong, Associated Press

In this May 1, 2014 photo, irrigation water runs along the dried-up...

Image 4 of 4

Excess water from residential sprinklers runs along a gutter in Pleasanton, CA, Friday May 16, 2014.
The city of Pleasanton has made it mandatory for it's residents to comply with a 25 percent reduction in water usage to help combat persisting drought conditions.

The first state survey measuring how well the public is responding to the drought, released Tuesday, shows residents have cut water use a modest 5 percent - well short of the 20 percent the governor requested in January.

Bay Area residents are among the laggards, posting a 2 percent reduction this year compared with the same January-through-May period in the previous three years, the survey shows.

By the same measure, parts of Imperial, San Bernardino, Riverside and San Diego counties saw a 1 percent drop.

He spoke during a meeting in Sacramento that ended with board members suggesting they might put some teeth into the governor's Jan. 17 appeal for conservation.

They asked the agency's staff to provide, at a July 15 meeting, a list of possible mandatory restrictions to be imposed statewide, such as limits on outdoor watering and car-washing.

61% response rate

Representatives of water suppliers showed up to Tuesday's meeting, or submitted written comments, in a bid to dissuade the agency from taking action. They said the drought problem varied from place to place, depending on local supplies and needs, and should be dealt with locally.

Some criticized the survey as giving an incomplete picture. The water board said it gathered data from 270 urban water agencies - a 61 percent response rate that represented 25 million retail customers.

The push for conservation comes as California wrestles with its third drier-than-normal year. Most of the state saw just half its average rainfall this past winter, while Sierra snowpack, which provides much of the state's drinking water, has been sparse.

Tuesday's report showed that areas with the biggest water shortages - while not always meeting conservation targets - were the biggest water savers. Many agencies in these areas have initiated restrictions of their own.

The Sacramento region recorded a 10 percent drop in water use this year compared with the previous three years, according to the report. Much of the San Joaquin Valley saw a 7 percent reduction.

Peter Brostrom, who heads the Department of Water Resources' efficiency division, said less populated inland areas tend to have smaller backup supplies, leaving them no choice but to act quickly.

The situation is less dire in San Francisco, where residents rely on Yosemite's expansive Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and where per-capita water use has always been relatively low.

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission has asked residents to voluntarily trim 10 percent of their water use when compared with 2013, a goal that has not been met but has flexibility, according to utility managers.

San Francisco residents have reduced their consumption enough over the past three weeks, the managers said, to keep mandatory restrictions out of the debate.

"If people respond to voluntary calls, that's a better way to go," said Steve Ritchie, the agency's general manager for water. "We're starting to see that response now."

Some cities require cuts

Some smaller districts, however, have felt compelled to move to mandatory cuts.

In the East Bay, Pleasanton residents are under orders to reduce consumption 25 percent from last year - or face heavy fines - because deliveries from the State Water Project, which gets its supply from mountain runoff, were curtailed.

In Santa Cruz, which relies in large part on the shallow San Lorenzo River, city officials limited households to 249 gallons a day.

Water use in Santa Cruz is "down like 20 or 21 percent, and that's remarkable," said Toby Goddard, a manager with the Santa Cruz Water Department. "That's a real indication that our customers are taking this to heart."

Stepping up outreach

Tuesday's survey showed that 53 percent of water districts have put in place drought plans. But 44 percent indicated that water shortages were not an issue.